Guide
Hang anything without calling the super
Plaster, lath, brick or tile. The wall decides, not the hook.
4 min read · First Ave Supply, 1587 First Avenue
Short answer. Find out what the wall is before you pick the hardware. In a prewar New York apartment it is almost never plain drywall. It is plaster over wood lath, plaster over metal lath, or masonry, and each one takes a different anchor.
The test. Push a pin in. If it goes in easily and comes out with white dust, drywall. If it stops dead and the pin bends, plaster over lath or masonry. Drill a small hole in a hidden spot and look at the dust. White and powdery is plaster. Gritty red or grey is brick or block.
By wall type
| Wall | Use | Do not use |
|---|---|---|
| Plaster over wood lath | Toggle bolt, or a screw into the lath | Plastic expansion plugs |
| Plaster over metal lath | Toggle bolt only | Anything that expands |
| Hollow drywall | Self drilling anchor, toggle, or into the stud | Nails for anything heavy |
| Brick or block | Sleeve anchor or a masonry screw | Plastic plugs in old mortar |
| Tile | Drill through to what is behind, anchor in that | Anything anchored in the tile itself |
The rule that saves the wall
Plastic expansion plugs do not work in plaster. They are designed to expand against a solid material. Plaster crumbles when they expand, so the plug spins, you tighten it more, and now you have a two inch hole in an eighty year old wall. This is the single most common mistake and it is why toggles exist.
Weight, honestly
Under 5 pounds. An adhesive hook is fine and it leaves no hole. Follow the cure time, which everyone ignores, and it will hold.
5 to 25 pounds. Toggle bolt in plaster, self drilling anchor in drywall, masonry screw in brick.
25 pounds and up. Find the structure. A stud, the lath run, or a masonry anchor. Mirrors, heavy art, shelving and anything above a bed or a crib goes into something solid, always.
TVs and anything cantilevered. Structure only, never an anchor alone. The leverage on a swing arm mount multiplies the load far beyond what the TV weighs.
Two things worth knowing
Studs in prewar buildings are not on 16 inch centres the way they are in new construction. Do not assume. Use a magnet to find the lath nails, which reveals the run.
Drill on the slowest speed with no hammer in plaster. A hammer drill turns a clean hole into a crater.
What to keep in the drawer
A small assortment of toggles, a box of self drilling anchors, adhesive hooks, and masonry screws. That covers every wall in the building.
Anchors are cheaper by the box and building accounts get case pricing. Sign in and the price here is yours.
If you are not sure
Bring a photo of the wall and tell us what is going on it and how heavy. We will tell you which anchor, and we would rather do that than sell you the wrong one twice.
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